Abstract
Background. A statewide breast cancer care provider needs assessment had identified CBE training as a target educational need. Accordingly, the authors implemented a one‐on‐one skills‐based course for primary care providers (PCPs) across the state. Method. The course had two components: a prerequisite self‐study manual, followed by a 1½‐hour skills‐based practicum. As part of the practicum, pre‐ and post‐course testing were performed on standardized silicone breast models. Results. Pre‐ and post‐testing data were available for 205 PCPs who completed the course. In the pre‐test period, 59% of PCPs examined could detect 60‐100% of the lumps. In the post‐test, that rose to 94% of PCPs detecting 60‐100% of the lumps. This improvement reached statistical significance. Further, false‐positive lump detection declined in the post‐test period to 59% of the pre‐test rate (236 to 139). Conclusion. Formal CBE training for PCPs significantly improves the sensitivity of lump detection and concurrently reduces false‐positive detection. The program is currently being extended to a greater number of providers across the state.